Linking the housing affordability problem to international students is driven more by xenophobia than factual evidence.
Linking the housing affordability problem to international students is driven more by xenophobia than factual evidence.
International students are not responsible for Canada’s housing crisis, according to experts and advocates.
In an Erudera report, they argued that linking the housing affordability problem to international students is driven more by xenophobia than factual evidence, as these students themselves are affected by the issue.
Permanent residency opportunities
Sarom Rho, an activist from Migrant Students United, pointed out that international students hold temporary visas and lack the power to advocate for themselves.
She emphasized the need for permanent residency opportunities for international students instead of blaming them.
“There is a pragmatic solution here, which is to hold these people responsible for making a profit off of precarity [to account] instead of blaming international students and trying to divert where the responsibility lies,” Rho told The Varsity via Erudera.
Saarthak Singh, a senior-year international student majoring in financial economics, echoed this sentiment, noting that those who do not understand market dynamics tend to scapegoat international students.
Housing crisis
Despite these arguments, some continue to attribute the housing crisis to the influx of international students. Government officials have suggested the possibility of restricting international student numbers to alleviate the crisis.
Canada’s Housing Minister Sean Fraser recently proposed imposing a cap on the issuance of study permits to ease the increasing pressure on housing.
Meanwhile, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada earlier said that they are reviewing the international student program to better support students throughout their Canadian studies and to address challenges such as accommodation.
The department is currently examining multiple avenues to tackle the housing crisis – maintaining close collaboration with provinces, territories, national educational institutions, and other stakeholders in the pursuit of effective solutions. As of now, no definitive policy decisions have been reached.
According to official data, the population of international students with valid visas in Canada surged from 275,000 in 2012 to an astonishing 800,000 in 2022. This substantial rise has exacerbated the housing crisis, affecting international students and Canadian residents alike.
Projections indicate that the count of international students in Canada might surpass 900,000 in the current year.
